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Behind the Design: The Modern Rustic Basement Project Reveal

Interior Design

I am beyond ecstatic to share the full reveal for my most recent install -  "Project Rustic Modern”. My sweet clients moved into their home in April of 2020 and never had a chance to fully make their house a home. They really desired that cozy, warm and completed look but didn’t even know where to start to accomplish this.

Challenges

My client’s priority was to improve their basement spaces. They really wanted to have a cozy and warm basement where they could hang out with the kids and watch TV, but also wanted to accommodate enough room for a piano. The basement had an existing log fireplace full of character, which they love, but didn’t love the gray color of the brick (which was an overdone color in the overall scheme of the home). The existing mantle is a gorgeous deep tone stained wood, full of knots and character, which was an inspiration piece for the entire design. My client’s have 2 young children, so extra storage is always a plus!

The basement also has a guest bedroom with access to it directly off the living room. My client’s really wanted to keep this guest bedroom as a bedroom, but also wanted to incorporate an office area somewhere within the basement.

On their main level all of the light fixtures were “blingy” and overly glam, which doesn’t represent their style at all. My client’s were also looking for custom drapery and roman shades for their main living area. The light shines in beautifully during the day, but needed some sun protection as well as privacy at night.

So here’s a summary of the plan:

1- Basement:

  • Create cozy seating to watch TV with kids
  • Accommodate enough space for future piano
  • Rework fireplace design
  • Storage solution

2- Guest Bedroom:

  • Keep existing guest bedroom a bedroom
  • Add office space

3- New Light Fixtures

4- Custom Window Treatments

Before | Living Room

Before | Guest Bedroom

Before | Main Level

The Design Plan

My client’s were after a warm rustic modern farmhouse vibe - think cognac leather and deep rich wood tones rather than shiplap and distressed everything. They also love the color navy blue.

Here was the initial design concept that I came up with. We ended up switching the fabric on the sofa to a light denim blue versus the linen color, which looks beyond fabulous paired with the navy blue tones and the rich wood.

Their basement isn’t huge but by using correctly scaled furniture pieces and a strategic floorplan layout we were able to give them a cozy place to hang out and watch TV as well as a piano tucked nicely by the corner windows. The piano is something they intend to purchase in the future, so for now we tucked in a chair that they already owned in the corner to fill that space until they find the perfect piano!

I suggested replacing their double doors with a barn door not only because aesthetically it fits the bill but also would provide for much better flow from the living room to the guest bedroom. As you can see in the before photos the double doors were extending quite a bit into the living room causing issues with furniture placement. We had a custom barndoor made and installed in collaboration with Stoltz Installation and Carpentry and Prodesign Custom Cabinetry. It turned out stunning!

I designed up a custom built in to be installed to the right of the fireplace. Their current console was too small scale for the space.  Now it fits the scale of this wall making everything look clean and put together and bonus - it is huge so easily houses all of their basement essentials! We went with 8” chunky matte black hardware to tie in with the hardware on the barndoor. See the below after pics for some close ups!

In order to make the most use of their guest bedroom I suggested turning their guest bedroom closet into an office - a “cloffice”! It currently housed a bunch of storage, which they have room for elsewhere in their home, so this was the perfect use for this otherwise unused square footage! I love combining beauty and function to design perfectly curated spaces for my clients!

They weren’t ready to tackle their main level at this time, but did want to refresh lighting and get some custom window treatments on their large (gorgeous) windows! We went with very simple and streamline fixtures - yet the matte black sure packs a punch against their all white kitchen. It also ties in the black elements that are used in the basement design.

In order to have the basement and the main level “speak to each other” without redoing the entire main level, we brought in many of the same colors/elements/materials that were used in their basement. Lush linen draperies in a deep navy color paired with flax linen roman shades. Crisp and clean and perfection.

The Reveal

If you haven’t booked us just yet, what are you waiting for?
  BOOK YOUR DISCOVERY CALL HERE, and let’s get to know each other. 
Choose boldly, style fearlessly, and most of all live beautifully!

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